Austerman Replacement Process Opens in July

Jay Barrett/KMXT

The Kodiak Island Borough clerk’s office has laid out the procedure for filling a soon-to-be vacant seat on the assembly. Assemblywoman Carol Austerman resigned last Thursday, but it won’t become effective until the end of the month.

That means the borough can’t start advertising the open seat or start accepting applications until July 3rd. The application period would last two weeks, or until Friday, July 17th.

The timeline proposed by the clerk suggests July 23rd as a possible date to interview applicants for the seat at a special work session, with a special meeting immediately following for the assembly to vote on and appoint a new colleague, and administer the oath of office.

Whoever is chosen will have their first meeting at the July 30th work session and serve until the October Municipal Election is certified, where the remaining year of Austerman’s uncompleted term will be on the ballot. 

In 2016, that seat will again return to the regular three-year cycle of elections.